On July 4, a joint statement in opposition to the Jordan Cover Pipeline was submitted by four local LWV chapters, including Klamath County. You may read the introduction to the document below and read the complete document HERE. We are proud of our participation in this important work and will remain active in following up on all developments until this issue is resolved.
We write representing the League of Women Voters of Coos County (LWVCC), LWV of
Umpqua Valley (LWVUV), LWV of Rogue Valley (LWVRV), and LWV of Klamath County
(LWVKC). We are grassroots nonpartisan, political organizations operating in the four counties in Oregon that would be directly affected by the construction and operations of the proposed Jordan Cove Liquefied Natural Gas (JCLNG) and Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline (PCGP), commonly referred to collectively as the Jordan Cove Energy Project (JCEP). Our detailed review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for this project shows that the projects are in direct conflict with many of the state and national League of Women Voters positions.
Since the 1950s, the League has been in the forefront of efforts to protect air, land, and water resources. The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) “believes that natural resources should be managed as interrelated parts of life-supporting ecosystems. Resources should be conserved and protected to assure their future availability. Pollution of these resources should be controlled in order to preserve the physical, chemical and biological integrity of ecosystems and to protect public health.” The League of Women Voters of Oregon (LWVOR) “ . . . opposes degradation of all of Oregon’s surface and ground water. . . .” and declares that climate change is the greatest environmental challenge of our generation. The following resolution passed almost unanimously at the 2018 National LWV Convention: “The League of Women Voters supports a set of climate assessment criteria that ensures that energy
policies align with current climate science. These criteria require that the latest climate science be used to evaluate proposed energy policies and major projects [emphasis added] in light of the globally-agreed-upon goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C, informed by the successful spirit of global cooperation as affirmed in the UN COP 21 Paris agreement.” Finally, at the 2019 LWVOR Convention, a resolution declaring a “climate emergency” passed unanimously. We, as local Leagues, are part of the national and state LWV. Based on these positions and our understanding of the likely impacts of the proposed JCEP on critical environmental resources and communities in our areas, the LWVCC, LWVUV, LWVRV, and LWVKC submit jointly this comment on the DEIS for the JCEP project.
On the basis of LWV positions and for reasons we provide in this comment, we respectfully but strenuously urge the FERC to deny with prejudice any and all permits and approvals sought by the JCEP within your jurisdiction.